The state has agreed to pay a total of $60,000 to settle lawsuits filed by two women who were victimized by a state prison inmate who was mistakenly released on parole last year, then went on a two-day crime spree before being arrested.

James Rand, 46, was released on parole to the streets of Concord in March 2012, instead of to the custody of the Merrimack County sheriff to be sentenced on five outstanding convictions for receiving stolen property.

Rand's rampage caused a public furor, prompting then-Gov. John Lynch to ask the attorney general to investigate.

Julia Jones of Concord, who was working at Cumberland Farms in Concord when Rand robbed her at knifepoint, settled for $15,000, and Jennifer Towne of Manchester, who was mugged coming out of Concord's Walmart, settled for $45,000, both of which included attorney fees, according to their lawyer Charles G. Douglas. Douglas and attorney Jason Major represented the women.

"We're very pleased the state saw the merit of our case and with the legal debate aside, they did the right thing in compensating these two women," Douglas said.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Mary Ann Dempsey, chief of the Civil Bureau, said the state weighed a number of factors before agreeing to settle the suit against the Department of Corrections.

"The settlement we entered into allowed us to resolve the matter in an efficient manner, and we determined it was in the best interest of the state to reach a settlement...," Dempsey said.

The state, like any party being sued, factors in what it would cost to litigate and hire expert witnesses in deciding whether to settle out of court, she said.

"We had made the legal argument that the release of Mr. Rand wasn't the cause of his subsequent criminal activity, but rather than wait for the court to rule, we were able to have productive settlement (talks)," Dempsey said.

Settlement money generally comes out of the state's general fund, she said.